“Qualcomm Atheros is enabling a client-to-infrastructure 802.11ac ecosystem by combining its Wi-Fi expertise across virtually all segments with Qualcomm’s position in mobile channels,” said Craig Barratt, president, Qualcomm Atheros. “By enabling client devices, such as smartphones, tablets and notebooks, with easy migration from 802.11n to 802.11ac, Qualcomm Atheros is paving the way for rapid adoption of products based on the new Wi-Fi standard. This should provide for a smooth, full-scale transition to Gigabit-capable Wi-Fi networking within the next two years.”

Qualcomm Atheros 802.11ac for Mobile
A key catalyst driving the ecosystem, the WCN3680 is a mobile 1x1 802.11ac combo Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/FM chip that is the connectivity companion to the Qualcomm 28nm Snapdragon™ family of processors, and will be integrated with the Snapdragon S4 MSM8960 processor featuring a dual-core Krait CPU and the S4 APQ8064 processor featuring a quad-core Krait CPU. Targeted at mobile consumer electronic devices like smartphones and tablets, the WCN3680 chip has high throughput for fast data transfer and low power consumption, enabling longer battery life and superior performance for demanding applications. The Snapdragon S4 processor class supports a wide range of leading operating systems, provides data rates up to 433 Mbps, and is pin-compatible with Qualcomm Atheros’ 802.11n mobile solution, the WCN3660, to provide customers with a simple upgrade path to 802.11ac performance.

“We are thrilled to be the industry’s first company with a mobile 802.11ac combo chip. The WCN3680 is an important development for the wireless industry,” said Barratt. “Qualcomm Atheros is improving the way new Wi-Fi technologies are propagated and expanding on the strength of Qualcomm’s mobile footprint to enable 802.11ac more quickly for everyone.”

Qualcomm Atheros 802.11ac for Computing
To address the broad and growing array of connectivity needs for computing, Qualcomm is offering a rich family of solutions, including 1-, 2- and 3-stream 802.11ac solutions that can achieve up to 1.3 Gbps wireless data rates:
• WCN3680 1-stream 802.11ac with integrated Bluetooth and FM paired with the Snapdragon S4 MSM8960 offers the benefits of high-performance WAN and LAN connectivity for multimedia and gaming on smartphones, tablets and PCs;
• WCN3680 paired with the Snapdragon S4 APQ8064 for non-WAN, advanced multimedia and gaming on tablets and PCs;
• Standalone QCA9860 (3-stream) and QCA9862 (2-stream) 802.11ac/a/b/g/n and Bluetooth combo chips support up to 1.3 Gbps PHY rates and feature a system-on-chip architecture to optimize CPU utilization for support of three times faster transfer rates and extended battery life versus legacy Wi-Fi.

The Qualcomm Atheros 802.11ac chips for computing are highly integrated to enable the smallest, thinnest notebooks with support for leading operating systems. The chips also support Wi-Fi Direct and Wi-Fi Display for full peer-to-peer functionality.

Qualcomm Atheros is sampling its 802.11ac chips to customers in the second quarter of 2012 and will demonstrate the WCN3680 capabilities at Mobile World Congress in Qualcomm’s exhibit, Booth #8B53, Hall 8, February 27 to March 1 in Barcelona.

About Qualcomm Atheros
Qualcomm Atheros, the networking and connectivity subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, is a leading provider of wireless and wired technologies for the mobile, networking, computing and consumer electronics markets. The organization is focused on inventing technologies that connect and empower people in ways that are elegant and accessible to all. With its broad connectivity portfolio, Qualcomm Atheros provides its global customer base with high-performance, end-to-end solutions, featuring Wi-Fi®, GPS, Bluetooth®, Ethernet, HomePlug® powerline and PON technologies. Qualcomm Atheros leverages its substantial expertise in RF, signal processing, software and networking to deliver highly integrated, low-power, system-level solutions that enable customers to create high-performance, differentiated products. For more information, go to www.qca.qualcomm.com.

Qualcomm Atheros is a trademark of Qualcomm Atheros Inc. Snapdragon and Qualcomm are trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated. Wi-Fi is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance. Bluetooth is a registered trademark of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group. HomePlug is a registered trademark of the HomePlug Powerline Alliance. All other trademarks are the sole property of their respective owners.

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